


it feels impossible (it’s not)

by lavi0123



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Airbender Ty Lee (Avatar), Could Be Canon, Gen, She’s descended from them, Sort Of, Ty Lee (Avatar)-centric, and it gives me ty lee vibes so there you go, as pretty much all my atla fics will XD, but not an airbender herself, ignores the atla comics, no beta we die like lu ten, not fond of the movie it comes from but the music SLAPS, we were ROBBED of a zuko & ty lee friendship, yes the title is from rewrite the stars
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 11:54:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29313672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lavi0123/pseuds/lavi0123
Summary: Ty Lee is born as the fourth of seven girls, right in the middle.She is three when she first discovers that her feet are most comfortable off the ground.Or: Ty Lee through the years, from birth to age fifteen.
Relationships: Azula & Mai & Ty Lee, Background Mai/Zuko, Mai & Ty Lee (Avatar), Ty Lee & Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 51





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> We need more Zuko and Ty Lee friendship fics and more Ty Lee-centric fics, and the inspiration for this hit me like a bolt of lightning last night. So here you go, two chapters of my various Ty Lee headcanons stuffed into two chapters XD

Ty Lee is born as the fourth of seven girls, right in the middle ( _not that it matters_ , her parents remind her, _seeing as you’re all the same age_ ). She never minds this at first–it’s nice having company from the moment she’s born.

She is three when she first discovers that her feet are most comfortable off the ground. She’s playing with one of her sisters, and the game of tag is quickly closing in on her. Soon enough, her sister backs her into a wall with only one window and no other escape.

“Ha!” Her sister grins proudly, hands outstretched. “I’m gonna get you now!”

But Ty Lee’s eyes are quick, and her impulses are quicker. She leaps out the window, ignoring her sister’s shocked cry, and slides down the roof, just managing to grab the edge before she falls.

As she dangles up here, feeling the breeze rush through her hair, she laughs. Her grip isn’t quite so strong yet, but she feels alive nonetheless, in a way she’s never felt before. If her arms weren’t so weak, she could stay like this forever without complaint.

“Ty Lee!” Her father appears above her, taking in the state of her clothes and position, and reaches down to swing her back up. Ty Lee obliges him, giggling all the while, even as her father ushers her inside.

Her sister, looking thoroughly chastised, mumbles an apology, but Ty Lee shakes her head.

“That was fun!” She cheers. “Again?”

Needless to say, that window is promptly locked.

* * *

She is four when she finds another window to climb out of and takes to hiding away on the roof whenever her family frustrates her. The air rushing past blocks out the shouts of her family ( _a big family_ , she muses, _too big_ ), and she’s up so high that everyone looks so small, and Ty Lee smiles.

She dances on the rooftops and laughs and sings and smiles like the shining sun. She even tries walking around on her hands and finds it delightful.

And then it starts to fall apart.

“Mother, Ty Lee climbed out of her window!”

SLAM!

“Father, Ty Lee climbed out of my window!”

SLAM!

“Mother, Ty Lee climbed out of _my_ window!”

SLAM!

“Mother–!”

“Father–!”

SLAM! SLAM!

Eventually, all of the windows in the house are not only closed, but also locked, with a key that only her father holds.

* * *

She is five when she asks her mother why she can’t go out on the roof again. Her mother pales, her usual blue aura clouding up with shades of gray.

“Sweetheart, the roof is terribly dangerous. You could fall and hurt yourself.”

“Okay,” she agrees, because she kind of understands. “Can I become strong so I don’t fall off?”

Her mother sighs. “A lady does not play on the roof, Ty Lee.”

“But why–?”

“That’s enough questions.”

If she were a dutiful daughter, she would listen to her mother. But she’s getting sick of the repeated motions, feeling like a faulty clone, feeling like...like…

Like part of a _matched set_.

So, though she nods and smiles and watches relief spread over her mother’s face as she kisses her on the forehead, Ty Lee yearns for more. For the chance to...perhaps not dangle from a roof, but fly through the air.

* * *

She is six when she confides this to her aunt, her mother’s sister. She likes her aunt, with her warm pink aura, kind smiles, and patient answers to her tireless questions.

She’s beating an egg with determination, and her aunt’s calmly stirring the dry ingredients, when Ty Lee suddenly slips on an egg shell and falls.

For a moment, just before she hits the ground, her feet hover, and her breath catches.

It almost makes up for the hurt of the ground, and it’s perhaps why she doesn’t even shed a tear.

“Ty Lee!” Her aunt fusses, turning her over to check for injuries. “Are you all right? I’m so sorry, dear, I should’ve checked for–”

“Auntie,” she interrupts, “I flew.”

“What?” Her aunt frowns. “No, you–”

“Auntie. I fell, but...for a second...I _flew.”_

Her aunt looks at her for a long time then starts to cry, her aura shifting close to purple. Ty Lee’s eyes widen as she spouts apologies, but her aunt shakes her head.

“I’ve been wondering,” she whispers, “if my mother and grandmother were the only ones.”

And that day, on her aunt’s kitchen floor, Ty Lee learns her family’s history.

* * *

She is seven when her parents enroll her in the Fire Nation Academy for Girls. The imposing halls, strict rules, and sharpness in the girls–it all terrifies her. She’s all soft edges and smiles, she doesn’t understand what to do, how to act, what to say–

“You look lost.”

Ty Lee looks up to see none other than Princess Azula herself–her agemate, though no one could tell from how she carries herself. Her aura is bright orange, bordering on red, and Ty Lee hastens to explain, “P-Princess, I–“

“Please, don’t bother,” Azula interrupts, smiling slightly. “Ty Lee, isn’t that right?”

Her heart flutters at being recognized by the princess. “Y-yes, Your Hi–“

“I thought I told you not to bother?” Azula narrows her eyes, assessing. “Yes, you’ll do nicely.”

“Nicely for wh–?”

“Meet me in the courtyard, at noon sharp. Don’t be late.” She marches off before Ty Lee can protest.

She obeys, of course–one does not deny the princess anything, and she’s eager to make some friends. She meets Azula properly, along with her friend, a tall, brooding girl who rarely smiles but somehow feels more welcoming than anyone Ty Lee has ever met.

“So you’re Ty Lee,” she greets, her pasty gray aura humming around her.

“I am,” Ty Lee agrees.

The girl smiles, a small, quick thing. “I’m Mai.”

“Wonderful, you two are acquainted.” Azula grins. “Ty Lee, we’d like to invite you to be our friend.”

Later, Ty Lee will look back and long for these times–these happy times, when they all have stars in their eyes and sugar in their smiles. But at the moment, she’s bright and hopeful, and these girls seem sweet, and having an in with the princess couldn’t hurt, surely. So she smiles and shakes Azula’s hand, and from that day forward, they are inseparable.

* * *

She is eight when she first meets Zuko, and Zuko is ten. She sees him walking past, watches Mai blush, and sees Azula smirk with the promise of a plan.

“Just knock the apple off her head,” Azula instructs him, Ty Lee dutifully at her side. Azula sets the apple aflame, and for a moment, Mai looks scared, which scares Ty Lee in turn. Azula would never hurt Mai on purpose...right?

The Azula of a year prior wouldn’t. But Azula has changed in the past year. She’s more prone to recklessness and cruelty, and it scares Ty Lee in a way that she fears but never speaks about. 

Zuko shouts, “No!” and knocks Mai into the fountain. Azula laughs, nudging Ty Lee, who smiles back, as she knows she should.

“See,” Azula crows, “I told you that would work!”

Zuko’s cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment, and he glares at them both. Ty Lee’s smile falls for a moment, and she almost reaches out to him, but he’s gone as quickly as he came.

Mai snaps with very little heat, Azula smirks back, but Ty Lee still glances after Zuko, and only Azula’s nudge brings her back.

“Has Zuzu caught your eye, Ty Lee?” Azula teases.

“N-no,” Ty Lee stammers, blushing, “I–”

“You might have some competition from Mai, but–”

“I’m not–!”

“Guys!” Ty Lee interrupts, frowning now. “I’m fine. Really. Zuko’s...nice-looking, but he’s not really my type. Mai, are you okay?”

Mai nods gratefully, and Ty Lee smiles, and Azula claps her hands. “Right, then, I have something else planned.”

* * *

Ty Lee is nine, and Zuko is eleven, when he finds her cartwheeling near the turtleduck pond.

The sight of him startles her, and she puts a little too much weight on her left hand, nearly tumbling into the lake. Only his quick reflexes save her, though she winces as her left wrist throbs.

“Are you okay?” He ventures, a little nervously. Ty Lee takes in his aura properly for the first time–bright orange, with hints of gold.

“I think so,” she says, as truthful as she can be without making him feel bad. “I will be, anyway. Did you need something?”

“No, I, uh…” he trails off, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “It was quiet out here, so I figured I’d practice a bit.”

“Oh!” She blushes. “I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t–”

“Don’t worry about it,” he interrupts. “I wanted to ask, actually–what’s that you were doing?”

Ty Lee laughs. “Well it was _supposed_ to be a cartwheel.”

He hums in that way when he’s thinking something but isn’t sure if he should say it. “Weren’t you doing that last year with Azula?”

Her smile fades. “Yeah.” She thinks back to last year, showing this same routine to Azula. She messed it up, and when Ty Lee tried to show her again, Azula tripped her.

“You were really good,” he encourages.

She laughs again, but even to her optimistic ears, it sounds bitter. “I guess so.”

He pauses, considering, then says, “Is it–do you like this? Cartwheeling?”

“Well, yeah! It’s one of the basics of acrobatics–that’s a type of exercise involving agility and coordination.” At his nod, she brightens and keeps talking. “I don’t know what it is, but something about it makes me feel...like I’m flying, my feet off the ground and the wind in my hair, but the trajectory controlled. You know?”

Zuko laughs. “You must have a great teacher, to speak so fondly of it.”

Her eyes widen. “A teacher?” _Is this something to be taught?_

“You don’t have a teacher?”

“I...I didn’t know anyone even taught this sort of thing,” she admits, her ears reddening, then her eyes brighten. “Could you...could you find one?”

Zuko looks at her for a long moment and then smiles. “I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

Ty Lee is ten, and Zuko is twelve, when he tells her how to find Amaya, an Earth Kingdom woman with an uncanny knack for balance and coordination. He can’t come with her–as a prince, he’s too recognizable, even outside the Fire Nation–but she assures him that it’s all right, she can do this alone.

He smiles and calls her brave. She scoffs and says that it’s hardly the first time she’s gone somewhere on her own.

Amaya is resistant to Ty Lee at first, wary of her Fire Nation heritage, but Ty Lee repeats what Zuko said, that she was sent by Iroh. The woman’s countenance softens–clearly, she trusts Iroh, even if Ty Lee isn’t quite sure why. Ty Lee looks at her aura–a warm, rich brown like the wood furniture around them–and trusts her immediately.

“All right,” Amaya says, “I’ll give you a test run, let’s see how you do.”

She leads Ty Lee to her backyard, where three...swings are set up. Well, swing is the wrong word–they certainly look like swings, but instead of seats hanging from the chains, there are instead rungs, only big enough for her hands to fit side-by-side.

“Those are called trapezes,” Amaya supplies, clearly seeing her confusion. “Acrobats use these to do tricks.”

“Acrobats?” Ty Lee brightens. “Are you one of those?”

Amaya goes to stand on the other side of the strange rung-swings, then says, “Get over here without touching the ground! Then maybe I’ll tell you.”

Ty Lee swallows, then steels herself and takes a running leap, She grabs the first trapeze and swings with it, launching herself into the air, flipping forward into a summersault, and grabbing the second trapeze on the way down. She laughs–there’s no wind in her hair, but she’s not high above the ground, and she’s close to flying–it’s thrilling somehow.

“Hello! You’ve still got another bar to clear!” Amaya calls, frowning. “Don’t get distracted!”

_Oh, right!_ Ty Lee flails a bit, swinging back and forth. There’s no easy way to get across without risking touching the floor, but she has one idea, and she’s nothing if not determined. She _will_ pass this test.

She’s lost her momentum, but if she can just get close enough…. _there!_ She hooks her legs over the third trapeze and lets go of the second, letting the third swing back from whence it came. Then, she grabs the trapeze and swings her legs up and over, landing on her feet with her back to the trapezes.

Her heart is racing, and she’s a little scared, but she’s also never felt more free, and she laughs from it.

Amaya claps her on the shoulder with a smile and says, “You’ve still got a few things to learn, but nice job. Welcome aboard, fellow acrobat.” It’s as close to praise as she’s ever gotten directed solely at her.

* * *

Ty Lee is eleven, and Zuko is thirteen, when he asks her to meet him under the tree near the turtleduck pond.

“How’s your training going?” He asks, and she brightens.

“Good! Instructor Amaya is tough, but she’s great. She, actually…” she trails off, considering.

Zuko squeezes her hand. “What?”

“She was, um...she introduced me to a friend of hers,” Ty Lee replies softly. “Hikaru. She said if I wanted to take my acrobatics to the next level...I should join up with him.”

Zuko nudges her with a smile. “Congratulations, Ty Lee! That’s–”

“I can’t,” Ty Lee interrupts, shaking her head as tears rise to her eyes. “I want to, really, but...it’s the circus. My parents would–I _can’t_.”

Zuko’s eyes widen in realization. “Oh. I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head, smiling at him. “Don’t be. Thank you for finding her for me. Learning from her, getting to be in my...element, I guess you could say...it’s amazing. _You’re_ amazing, Zuko.”

He blushes under her praise. “Thank you.”

“So? Why’d you ask me to meet you here?”

He shrugs. “Just figured I’d check up on you. We haven’t talked in a while.”

“Is this our designated meet-up place now?” She laughs.

“I guess it is,” he agrees with a grin. Then he looks up at the sun, registers its position, and something hardens behind his eyes. “Hey, listen, I’ve gotta go–something to do for Uncle–but I’ll catch up with you later, yeah? We can talk more about this circus thing.”

She frowns. “Zuko–”

“Please? At least hear me out. Promise you won’t dismiss the idea.” He looks so entreating, and she can’t exactly refuse him.

So of course she says, “I promise,” and Zuko smiles.

He even leans forward to hug her, and she’s so startled that she almost forgets to hug him back until he’s almost pulling away. “I’ll see you later,” he says, and she agrees enthusiastically.

A few days later, Azula tells her and Mai that Zuko spoke out of turn at a war meeting, challenged the general to an Agni Kai, refused to fight, and was subsequently banished for cowardice.

The day after that, Ty Lee packs her bags, leaves one note for Mai and another for Azula, and runs off to join the circus.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She is fourteen when Azula comes to find her, in the midst of a handstand as she practices for her next show. As soon as she hears, “Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?” her heart skips a beat.
> 
> Or: Ty Lee can't be an acrobat forever, and Azula is all too happy to test her loyalties

She is fourteen when Azula comes to find her, in the midst of a handstand as she practices for her next show.

She and Hikaru hit it off marvelously three years prior, and as he says repeatedly, he’s happy to have her. Amaya even comes to their shows from time to time, and Ty Lee overall feels happier than she’s felt in a long time. Hikaru’s aura, dark blue with flashes of gold, worries and excites her.

But as soon as she hears, “Ty Lee, could that possibly be you?” her heart skips a beat.

She flips up into a standing position and twirls into a bow, and when Azula comes forward, Ty Lee hugs her with all of her might. For a moment, she dares to hope that Azula is here out of simple concern and curiosity, that she just wants to see what her best friend is up to. Even Azula’s clear disdain for the place slides off of her like water as she waits for Azula to explain what she’s doing here.

Her hopes, of course, are quickly dashed when Azula says, “I’m hunting a traitor. You remember my old fuddy-duddy uncle, don’t you?”

“Oh, yeah,” Ty Lee agrees, grinning, “he was funny!” _Stop talking, Azula, please...talk about something else–anything else!_

“I would be honored if you would join me on my mission.”

She tries to refuse, at first. “The truth is, I’m really happy here. I mean, my aura has never been pinker!”

She doesn’t expect it to actually work, so she’s surprised when Azula’s smile turns a touch sincere. “Well, I wouldn’t want you to give up the life you love just to please me.”

She smiles back, trying to convey all of her gratitude and relief in this one expression. “Thank you, Azula.” _Really, truly, thank y–_

“Of course, before I leave, I’m going to catch your show.”

Ty Lee, in the middle of turning away, freezes for a moment, then forces a light tone as she replies, “Oh, yeah, of course! We’d love to have you.”

That night, her net catches fire by Hikaru’s hand ( _no_ , she corrects herself firmly, _Azula’s hand–she gave the order_ ), and the animals run rampant around her. Sweat beads on her forehead, and suddenly, the hobby which once gave her great joy scares her more than she can imagine.

And when Azula mentions her next show, Ty Lee knows what she has to do.

“The universe is giving me strong hints that it’s time for a career change,” she bluffs, smiling at Azula in the mirror. “I want to join you on your mission.”

Azula grins, and Ty Lee pushes down her anger and nausea. _A lady does not play on the roof, Ty Lee_ , and right now, she must be a lady.

Seeing Mai later, getting to hug her, is worth it. And when Mai asks, “I thought you ran off to join the circus? You said it was your calling,” Ty Lee feels warm with her friend’s concern, even as she gives a half-true non-answer.

* * *

She is nearly fifteen when Zuko comes home. She’s excited at the prospect, having missed him dearly, but one look at him takes the smile right off her face.

The orange that was one so bright is dull and nearly faded. And instead of the shades of gold, his aura is nearly drenched in red.

But she trusts her own first impression more than she trusts auras, so she holds out hope and smiles brightly at Zuko. She opens her mouth to launch into questions about his life for the past three years and explanations about his own, but his face seems to house a permanent scowl, so she falters. Instead, she says something about the turtleducks, and he scoffs.

It’s puzzling. She knows he and Mai always loved each other, but he’s never wanted to spend _this_ much time with her, especially with barely even a smile at Ty Lee! She’s not jealous, exactly–her feelings for Zuko are more sisterly than romantic–but she does wonder what happened to him.

Even Mai confides in her that Zuko’s different.

“He has something on his mind,” Ty Lee murmurs in reply. “Whatever it is, it’s weighing on him–and it might explain why he’s like this.”

Mai scoffs. “Well, whatever it is, I wish he’d just tell me.”

_Don’t you think I want that too?_ Ty Lee wants to scream. _You might love him like a boyfriend, but I love him like a brother!_

But she can’t, so she doesn’t.

What happened to change him into this scowling, brooding parody?

Why does it seem like all of her friends are changing?

* * *

She turns fifteen on the final day of their Ember Island vacation. It’s been years, and no one remembers, but that’s okay–she doesn’t want to celebrate in present company, with the mood like this.

Zuko and Mai have been fighting–some relationship drama, she assumes. She saw them at the party earlier, with Zuko fighting jealousy (and promptly denying it when Ty Lee tries to tease him) and Mai fighting awkwardness. Neither of them had ever been great at expressing their feelings, and especially now, their auras are clouded and darkened more than ever.

Azula, meanwhile, is disoriented for an entirely different reason. Her title holds little power here, and her lack of a normal childhood is plainly obvious. She can’t flirt to save her life, she turns a fun volleyball game into a competition, and she’s so obsessed with _winning_ that she seems to have forgotten that they’re on _vacation_.

It’s enough to dull Ty Lee’s own aura, her bright pink now more of a dusty rose. She’s always been so easily influenced by the moods and words of others, and this is no exception.

On the last night of their vacation, to break up some of the tension and celebrate her birthday in a roundabout way, she suggests they go down to the beach for a bit.

Zuko hovers at the door, and she’s about to go talk to him, but Azula shakes her head and motions her on. “He won’t listen to you when he’s like this.”

She’s probably right ( _who am I kidding, she’s definitely right_ ), but that doesn’t make it sting any less.

Soon enough, they’re all sitting by the ocean on the beach. Ty Lee wraps her arms around herself, rubbing up and down in hope of warmth, but nothing.

“Are you cold?” Zuko asks Mai, who scowls and slaps his hand away. Ty Lee sighs.

“I’m freezing,” she murmurs, mostly to herself.

Zuko’s reply of, “I’ll make a fire,” and his tentative smile even as he points up toward the house, surprises her, and she smiles back in relief and hope. Maybe things aren’t as hopeless as she thought.

But then, Zuko throws his family’s portrait into the flames and snaps at her when she objects, then she fires back, then so does he, and on and on until–

“Circus freak!”

It startles her, that name that she only ever hears from jeering crowds and occasionally Azula. She’s never heard it from Zuko before, and tears rise to her eyes even as she snaps back, “Yes, I’m a circus freak. Go ahead and laugh all you want!” She adds sharply as Azula giggles, though it doesn’t evoke guilt in Azula like she hoped. Sighing, she turns back to Zuko, who looks startled but not apologetic, and barrels on. “Do you have _any idea_ what my home life was like? Growing up with six sisters who look _exactly like me_?

“It was like I didn’t even have my own name!” The tears stream down her cheeks now, but she can’t be bothered to care, still glaring at Zuko, who _still_ can’t have the decency to even _look_ apologetic. “I joined the circus because I was scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set.” _And because you left without even a goodbye, without even telling me what your important errand was or how you got roped into a war meeting, and you were supposed to convince me._ You _were supposed to convince_ me _to do this!_ “At least I’m different now! Circus freak is a _compliment_!”

And now, of all times, Zuko finally looks apologetic, and even a little proud–though she’s probably imagining that last bit. Maybe even all of it. Maybe this isn’t even Zuko–maybe he’s an imposter, maybe Zuko’s _dead_ –

“–explains why you need ten boyfriends, too.”

Ty Lee startles. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Attention issues?” Mai continues. “You couldn’t get enough attention as a kid, so you’re trying to make up for it now.”

“And what’s your excuse, Mai?” Ty Lee fires back. “You were an only child for fifteen years, but your aura is still this dingy, pasty, _gray_ –”

“Fourteen years,” Mai corrects sharply. “Tom-Tom’s two, not a newborn, and I’m sixteen, not fifteen or seventeen. Though you’d know that if you were ever around.”

Ty Lee flinches. “I haven’t been–”

“And besides, I don’t believe in auras.”

“Yeah, you don’t believe in anything,” Zuko snaps, setting off another argument, and Ty Lee sighs. Is this really what they’ve come to, now? They used to be so close, now here they are, fighting like lions over a piece of meat. It’s enough to make her despair.

She sits back and lets their words wash over her–Mai’s childhood is no surprise to her, or to Azula–not even to Zuko, really, which begs the question of why Mai’s even bringing it up.

“Calm down, you guys,” she finally pleads. “This much negative energy is bad for your skin–you’ll totally break out.”

She’s mostly joking, but Zuko whirls on her, eyes flashing and teeth bared. “Bad skin?” He snaps. “ _Normal_ teenagers worry about bad skin–I don’t have that luxury! In case you haven’t noticed, my father decided to teach me a permanent lesson _on my face_!”

She shrinks back and falls silent, even as Zuko rages on about his father and his worries–and most of all, his _anger_.

“Who are you angry at?” They all ask, one at a time, over and over, and part of Ty Lee knows that this isn’t the way to get him to talk, but another part doesn’t care. Zuko’s the closest thing she has to a brother, and she just wants to help him, and she _doesn’t care how_.

“I’m angry at _myself_!” He screams, fury pouring off of him in rage as the fire between them blasts upward with heat. His aura is almost entirely red now, and for a moment, Ty Lee worries–then it starts to fade, until it and his usual orange are evenly matched. “I’m confused,” he whispers. “I’m not sure I know the difference between right and wrong anymore.”

And oh, Ty Lee hurts for him. There’s nothing worse in the world than to believe one thing but have everyone and everything oppose it at every turn. She wonders if she should stand and comfort him, like Mai is, if she’d even be welcome. Though she doesn’t get to consider this long before Azula speaks, with a dry-eyed confession of her _own_ childhood that takes them aback.

“I could sit here and complain about how our mother loved Zuzu more than she loved me, but honestly, I don’t really care.” Azula laughs, but it fades for a moment as she looks into the fire. “My own mother,” she whispers, her aura dulling until it’s only a dusty shade of the bright red Ty Lee knows so well, “thought I was a _monster_.”

Pity swells in Ty Lee’s heart, and she almost reaches out to comfort her friend, but Azula snaps back to reality, her aura brightening, before she can even move.

“She was right, of course, but it still hurt.”

Ty Lee decides not to mention that Azula’s aura, while brighter than moments ago, still isn’t as bright as it was before.

* * *

She is a week past fifteen, and Zuko’s on a train platform with some guy in blue armor (she recognizes him, vaguely, as the easy-on-the-eyes Water Tribe Peasant).

Azula’s smug in herself, sure in her victory, and Mai and Ty Lee are obediently by her side…until they aren’t.

It starts with Mai, really. Ty Lee remembers Mai calling her to her room, crying openly. Remembers asking Mai what was wrong, remembers Mai shoving the note at her, remembers reading it and feeling fury well up in her. She remembers hugging Mai and whispering, “You were too good for him anyway,” furious on behalf of not only her friend, but herself, too.

Now, as if possessed, Mai turns her shurikens not on Zuko–an easy target–but on the guards trying to apprehend him.

“What are you doing?” One of them demands.

Mai smirks. “Saving the jerk who dumped me.”

And later, when Zuko’s safely away and Mai is facing Azula’s ire, Ty Lee doesn’t hesitate. She sees a flash of lightning in her former friend’s eyes and chi-blocks before she can stop herself.

“Let’s get out of here!” She pleads, even knowing that it’s too late.

They’re thrown in a cell, in the same prison as the Kyoshi Warriors. And although they keep to themselves at first, Ty Lee senses from their forest-green auras that these girls can be trusted, and approaches them herself.

It’s not easy, but as Amaya always said, nothing worth doing is ever easy. And ultimately, her friendship with these girls is probably the only reason she’s still sane at the end of it all.

* * *

She is a month past fifteen, and Zuko’s just been crowned Firelord, and they’re all gathered in a tea shop–the Jasmine Dragon, apparently. Mai and Suki (the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors, who has accepted her despite having no obligation to do so) are locked in a tense game of Pai Sho, Sokka’s busy drawing with Katara over his shoulder, and Zuko and Aang are engaged in a discussion of some sort, while Toph sits with them, half-listening.

Very slowly, Ty Lee makes her way over to the trio. Zuko catches her eye and smiles invitingly, the red from weeks prior replaced with shades of gold that mingle well with his usual orange. She sits beside Aang, tuning into their conversation.

“...just don’t know what to do about Airbending,” Aang is saying with a sigh. “The books are all full of misinformation or completely illegible, and I don’t even know...I wish there was someone I could talk to about this stuff.”

_Airbending…? Like...like the Air Nomads? Like Auntie told me about?_

Zuko hums in sympathy. “I’m sure you’ll find something, Aang. Books have a way of surviving the test of time.”

“Not if they’re burnt,” Aang shoots back, wincing immediately after. “Sorry, I–”

“No, don’t be.” Zuko sighs. “You’re right. I wish I could help you.”

Toph looks at her suddenly. “What?”

Ty Lee startles. “Sorry?”

“You clearly wanna say something, Circus Girl. So what’s on your mind?”

“Toph,” Zuko chides, but Ty Lee shakes her head.

“She’s right. I, um...I’m not an Airbender, but...I’m descended from them. My aunt’s mother and grandmother were Airbenders.”

Aang, Zuko, and even Toph’s eyes widen. “Really?” Aang whispers in awe.

Ty Lee smiles. “Let me tell you a story…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go! I left it purposefully vague, so you can sub in whatever story you want for how Ty Lee's great-grandmother got involved with her family.
> 
> I don't know if the timeframe is exactly accurate, but my intention is for Ty Lee's great-grandmother to be one of the Airbenders who escaped the Air Temple–maybe because she was traveling, or maybe she got lucky, I'm not sure. She also knew Aang and was like an older sister to him, though I wasn't able to get that across here.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this! I'm currently writing my Bumizumi Time Travel AU, so look forward to that soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Amaya means “beautiful night rain” in Chinese, and Hikaru means “Flashing brilliance,” also in Chinese. Some Earth Kingdom names in ATLA were Chinese if I recall correctly, so hopefully it’s okay that I used Chinese names for these two!
> 
> Also, forgive me for any inaccuracies, gymnasts XD I’m more of a swimmer myself


End file.
